Identification of Training Needs and Development of a Work-Integrated Training Program for Aged Care On-Site...

From July 2024, Australian pharmacists are remunerated through federal funding to practice on-site within aged care homes. This Aged Care On-site Pharmacist (ACOP) program is novel in both Australian and international practice, aiming to improve the quality use of medicines for vulnerable older persons through medicines governance, person-centered medication reviews, and more. In this program, pharmacists are embedded in facilities and health care teams, varying from historical Australian models where they are visiting health care professionals. Distinct from pharmacist practice in hospital and community pharmacy, the role is professionally isolated from other pharmacists, limiting opportunities for peer collaboration and practice-specific professional development. Peer learning, mentorship, and workplace-based learning opportunities are considered integral for health professional development.

This project aims to co-design a training program that provides a pathway to professional development for ACOPs aligned with the diverse interests of stakeholders, including health care professionals, residents, and informal caregivers.

Focus group-style co-design workshops and stakeholder consultations will be used in this project. The "Double Diamond" framework will be used to structure the process, using 4 stages of alternating convergent and divergent exploration of stakeholder perspectives. A consumer advisory group has been engaged, consisting of persons with lived experience of aged care settings, for consistent observation and overarching guidance of the project. Exploratory workshops with pharmacists, allied health and medical professionals, residents, and families of residents will be conducted. Workshops will be audio- and video-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Insights obtained from overarching themes as well as individual perspectives will be used to design a pilot program, which will be presented and discussed for feedback during follow-up focus groups. A pilot phase will then be undertaken with ACOPs, who will be further involved in feedback and workshop-style focus groups to collaboratively refine the program.

Funding for this project was granted through the Medicines Research Future Fund on March 27, 2023. Recruitment for preliminary phases began in January 2025, and data collection began in March 2025. Data collection is expected to end in October 2026. Ethics approval for this study was granted on December 19, 2024, by the University of South Australia Human Research Ethics Committee. Recruitment has exceeded the initial estimates of minimum participant involvement. Output data are expected to be available in early 2027.

This will be the first co-designed workplace-based training program available for pharmacists undertaking the novel and complex role of ACOPs. It is expected to benefit the development of clinical and nonclinical skills, facilitate integration into existing teams, and offer a pathway to professional recognition.